CSU’s Native American Cultural Center in partnership with the Warner College of Natural Resources and CSU Extension is preparing a 70-acre field site and programming for community-based Indigenous science education to address a longstanding need for Indigenous education, serving CSU’s commitments as a land grant institution and needs identified by our local Native community. Project goals include engaging Indigenous and climate-resilient design principles to develop a site that will support experiential learning and research opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members. Research, outreach and activities at this field site will broadly focus on ecological restoration and cultural reconciliation efforts. We have identified two extension internship opportunities centering around our unifying project theme: Community-Based Indigenous Science for Restoration & Reconciliation, including a natural resource survey and Indigenous and climate-resilient landscape design.
The Indigenous and climate-resilient landscape design internship includes the following goals and objectives:
Goal: The intern will undergo preliminary research based on Indigenous and climate-resilient models to inform a design plan for structures and outdoor areas that includes community-informed environmental, social, and cultural outcomes.
Objective 1: Identify and compile a portfolio of existing Indigenous and climate-resilient program models to inform architecture and design
Objective 2: Develop a stakeholder assessment plan for identifying needs and functionality the site could serve (e.g., Indigenous garden, phenology walk, workshops and retreats, climate-monitoring station, greenhouse for plant propagation, traditional food harvesting and processing, etc.)
Objective 3: Draft a budget and proposal for site development
Objective 4: Develop a presentation of research and proposal plan
